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Where are the cops

I live in me first land, that seems to be the main attitude here. In other words I can not stand ride/drive behind you or anyone else, I gotta be in front.

Well here I am headed west on the main drag in the right hand lane, there are three lanes each way with a median. Behind me in the right hand lane is a white Ford pickup, behind the pickup in the center lane is one of the new local police dept. Dodge Chargers. We are all running the 45 mph speed limit, suddenly from behind the Ford pickup comes a Jeep Cherokee whizzing past the Ford and me on my bike, with use of his right hand turn signal he passes, cuts in quickly and darts into a gas station. I hit the brakes hard, almost standing the bike on the front wheel, the Ford behind me thank God hits the brakes, we avoid hitting the Jeep and me. However the police sees this and blue lights flash and he turns into the gas station.

It must be nice that the cop did his duty. I have had similar incidence here in Mi, and the police generally do nothing, unless it is a State boy. Thing is, that driver will most likely give the officer some lame excuse, and get away with just the improper lane change when we all know that a wreck-less driving ticket is warranted, and might actually get the driver to think about his/her actions (though I doubt it)

On Tuesday commuting home in the usual DC traffic, a young woman in an Acura comes up from behind on Constitution Ave. (the main westbound avenue to Virginia). Nails the throttle at every stop light, *really* close tailgating, weaves across lanes with no signals, etc.

Despite her "I'm the only one in world, and these obstacles in the road annoy me" attitude, due to more thoughtful lane selection I hit the TR bridge quite a bit in front of her. By the time we reach the Rosslyn tunnel (1+ mi. later) I see her headlights *flying* up behind me, and I move into the right lane (I was already moving at a fair clip above the posted limit at the time, and passing slower traffic on the right). She goes by at something in the vicinity of 85. 85 itself is not inherently "bad," but in the context of the traffic at the time, way stupid/selfish. I shrug my shoulders and say "where are the cops" like most folks, and settle into my usual "brisk" pace home, not giving it anymore thought as she flys down the road and out of sight.

About 30 seconds later, a plain white Crown Vic *BLOWS* by me at 95-100. Sure enough, about a mile and a half later he's initiating a discussion on the side of the road.

While I'm no saint when it comes to speed limits, I have enough sense to adjust my riding to take into account the environment and flow of traffic, and be respectful of those that don't want to run as I do. This young lady clearly didn't and really needed a "calibration." For once there was someone there to give it to her. All I can hope is that she didn't get away with the old tears-and-I'm-so-sorry routine -- I thought about pulling over to inform the LEO about her behavior before she entered his sights, but didn't want to add to his personal safety worries.

My best "they were there when I needed them" was on a 2 lane rural highway in Kansas, I was running my usual 7 to 10 over and a new Caddie came up at high speed, like 30 over, swerved into other lane t pass. I braked hard, and got to the extreme right as soon as he was past me as he was running a oncoming highway patrolman of the road. Bad timing on his part. I pulled onto the gravel shoulder no problems, and I came to a stop. I needed a minute to relax.

The officer used his abs for braking, I could see the little dark patches. Then he performed a impressive power slide turn a safe distance from me leaving an impressive long black mark and lots of tire smoke for me to smell as he accelerated past me. The police spec Impala was pretty quick.

I smiled about about 2 or 3 miles up the road, as the officer already had the driver out of the car standing in the ditch. The other thing I noticed is the officer did not put on his hat. You never see an Kansas highway patrol out of his car on a traffic stop without his hat.

It must be nice that the cop did his duty. I have had similar incidence here in Mi, and the police generally do nothing, unless it is a State boy. Thing is, that driver will most likely give the officer some lame excuse, and get away with just the improper lane change when we all know that a wreck-lessreckless driving ticket is warranted, and might actually get the driver to think about his/her actions (though I doubt it)

...fixed it for you.... police don't write tickets just for not having a wreck....

Anyway on to my story.....

Sometime last year on the way to work early one Saturday I was cruising along the Interstate. A way down the road I observed the flashing lights of a police car on the side of the road. As I was approaching the poilce car, another car passes me on the left, going about 5 mph faster than me... nothing threatening, just passes. I look over and the female driver has a cell phone plastered to the right side of her face. In addition, for some reason, she has her left foot propped up onto the dash above the steering wheel.

Looking back over to the police vehicle on the right shoulder, i noticed the officer had just returned all doumentation to the driver he had stopped and was returning to his cruiser. I honked my horn to get his attention. He looked at me and with my left hand I made a motion of holding a phone to my head ( a fist with pinkie and thumb extended up to the side of my helmet). I then pointed to the car slowly moving away from me in the left lane. The officer looked in the direction I pointed and then I passed by him.

Less than a minute later, looking in my left mirror, I noticed the police cruiser rapidly closing in the left lane... no lights at this time. He passed me, closed on the car ahead, slipped over into the right lane and moved up along side. Moments later, he dropped back and returned to the left lane behind the car. His lights came on and both he and the cell phone talking diriver made their way to the right shoulder.

Given that talking on the cell-phone was a secondary offense, he probably stopped her for the foot up on the dash... possible unsafe driving.

Experience IS NOT the best teacher! Someone else's experience is the best teacher.

Onthanksgivings I had my 83 YO mom in my car with me when I saw a young woman coming up from behind me at a stop light with a cell phone jammed in her ear. I said mom brace yourself this women is'nt going to stop. Then she vered off the last moment clipping my right rear bumper. Did 2500 in damage to me and her honda was smashed up to the windshield. We were ok cause we were able to brace ourselfs.
The best part is two cars behind this woman was a Brookfield cop and he saw the whole thing.It turned out OK with a leo on site.

OK, we're all yearning to learn how you "brace yourself" for someone hitting the rear of your car. Make sure your head is against the head rest? Just curious, as I would have thought in a car your options were zero.

1989 I was on my way to pick up the kids in my pristine 85 Z28 when sitting in the left turn lane waiting for a green arrow I looked in the mirror and saw a old chevy pickup headed at me with the rear wheels locked up and he wasn't slowing down. I was alone in the car so I put my hands around the back of my neck, put both feet on the brake and prepared for impact. He hit me and the rear glass exploded and the impact drove the rear of my Z over the rear axle and my seat broke and I ended up almost laying flat on my back looking at the front of that pickup. Ahead of me were 4 older ladies sitting in a accord waiting for the arrow and we plowed into them after impact.
So I'm laying in my Z looking at the front bumper of the pickup, glass everywhere, checking for any body aches when the driver of the pickup walks up and slurs, "You ok man" then falls on the ground. I crawled out of the car stood over this idiot and told him I was Ok but he wasn't going to get up. I checked the ladies in the accord and they had a minor injuries and a totaled out accord.
I stood there with my foot on the drivers arm so he couldn't get up cause he had been at happy hour a little too long and I felt that it was better for him to rest a few minutes until the police arrived.
I was sore for a few days but no neck injury!
My Z never recovered................

I now look and then look again at intersections, and if I can have a car on the other side start into the intersection to block for me I wait.

This summer, in the 110 heat, I was looking and spied a car that was going to run the light, so I sat there, The truck behind me started honking and then the car blew the intersection as I looked back at him and pointed to the car running the light. bad thing about full face helmets is they can not see you say Duh!. Then I looked again before I entered the intersection.

The truck driver did not honk the second time.

I wish I could say this was an isolated incident. It isn't. Not a daily or even monthly occurrence here, but once a year, yep

It seems we all live in "me first land" these days. How else can you explain the red light running that has become endemic in most, if not all cities?

Or rear ending a moving car? About 2 years ago I was on the interstate on the way home from work in rush hour traffic in the car luckily. We had reached a spot where it was NOT stop and go but moving a steady 40 - 45 MPH. When all of a sudden, WHAM! I get rear ended. It was a very young girl, maybe 20 in a Nissan. We get to the shoulder and what's her excuse? "I was on the phone and not paying attention." I mean how do you rear end a moving car? Minimal damage to mine but her radiator was steaming.

It seems we all live in "me first land" these days. How else can you explain the red light running that has become endemic in most, if not all cities?

A few years ago I got nailed in the car while making a left turn in a left turn lane. I'd stopped for the red light then crawled forward (no left turn signal) to make the turn after oncoming traffic stopped. Two lanes oncoming and one vehicle stopped, but one old lady didn't when the light turned green. Plenty of witnesses so it didn't cost me dollars. But I most certainly thought WHAT IF I HAD BEEN ON THE BIKE.

Now, car or bike, I make SURE nobody is going to violate my path. I'm pretty sure this old lady was a "distracted driver" who didn't normally run red lights, and I have no idea what was the distraction. Now, we know that distracted drivers are becoming almost the norm.

Just glad that car or bike, I can mostly avoid the problem. I question the decision to commute on a bike near a major city faced with probably more "impaired" drivers than several decades ago having several drinks and getting in the car was simply SOP. Most of the inebriated KNEW they were not in top form and slowed down, to avoid a speeding ticket followed by DUI charge.

Those currently innebriated with the various electronics don't understand that they are impaired drivers and consequently can't compensate as a lot (not all) drunks did in the past.

Fact: I can state that when I travel to Lexington,KY, our nearest city of size, that I will see a few red lights run every time I/we go there.
Fact: I can also safely say that when I get on the outskirts of any larger city I will see an idiot with "NASCAR Syndrome" very quickly.
Fact: If you spend the day on the road you will see someone(or many more) texting /talking and weaving.
Fact: If you spend the day on the road you will see an 18wheeler that is weaving onto the shoulder & talking,eating or drowsy.-This one never used to happen much!
sadly the list goes on...